Author: claimsbot

1. A gateway that implements a local mobility anchor comprising:
a first network connection configured to send and receive data flows from a packet network;
a second network connection configured to send and receive data flows from a user equipment; and
a processor configured to create a binding that includes identification information of the user equipment and an access technology type that is used to establish a data flow and maintaining an application profile that includes an identification of an access technology used in providing radio communication to the user equipment and preferences regarding which applications are suited for that access technology, wherein the preferences are determined based on a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless access technology,
wherein the processor is configured to detect when the user equipment is connected to a plurality of different access technologies simultaneously by checking the bindings and corresponding application profiles and determining whether to initiate a handover of a specific data flow from a first access technology to a second access technology, based on the bindings and corresponding application profiles when the user equipment is connected to a plurality of access technologies simultaneously, wherein the first access technology is of a different type than the second access technology, and when a handover of the specific data flow is initiated, forwarding the specific data flow over the second access technology while sending to the UE another data flow over the first access technology.
2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the first access technology is a long-term evolution based radio access technology and the second access technology is WiFi.
3. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to create a binding cache entry to forward a specific data flow to the UE through the second access technology.
4. The gateway of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to remove the binding cache entry when the UE roams out of coverage of the second access technology.
5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the application profiles specify a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless technology.
6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the application profiles are based on policies local to the gateway and are configurable.
7. A method of handing over a data flow comprising:
receiving at an anchor gateway a first binding registration including an identification of a user equipment (UE);
creating a binding at the anchor gateway that includes the identification information of the UE and an access technology type that is used to establish a data flow and maintaining an application profile that includes an identification of a first access technology used in providing radio communication to the UE and preferences regarding which applications are suited for that access technology, wherein the preferences are determined based on a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless access technology,
sending from the anchor gateway a first data flow and a second data flow towards the UE, where the first access technology is used to communicate between the UE and the anchor gateway;
receiving at the anchor gateway a second binding registration for the UE;
creating a second binding at the anchor gateway using the identification information of the UE and maintaining a corresponding application profile that includes an identification of a second access technology used in providing radio communication to the UE that includes preferences amongst a plurality of applications;
determining whether to initiate a handover of a specific data flow from the first access technology to the second access technology, based on the bindings and corresponding application profiles, wherein the first access technology is of a different type than the second access technology;
initiating a handover of the specific data flow from the first access technology to the second access technology; and
once a handover of the specific data flow is initiated, forwarding the first data flow to the UE over the second access technology while sending to the UE the second data flow over the first access technology.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
removing the forwarding of the first data flow over the second access technology; and sending the first data flow over the first access technology.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the removing is a removal of a binding cache entry at the anchor gateway when the UE roams out of coverage of the second access technology.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first access technology is a long-term evolution (LTE) based radio access technology and the second access technology is WiFi.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the binding is a proxy mobile internet protocol version 6 (PMIPv6) binding.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the application profiles specify a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless technology.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein the application profiles are based on policies local to the gateway and are configurable.
14. A computer program product comprising software encoded on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and when executed on an anchor gateway operable to:
receive at an anchor gateway a first binding registration including an identification of a user equipment (UE);
create a binding at the anchor gateway that includes the identification information of the UE and an access technology type that is used to establish a data flow and maintaining an application profile that includes an identification of a first access technology used in providing radio communication to the UE and preferences regarding which applications are suited for that access technology, wherein the preferences are determined based on a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless access technology;
send from the anchor gateway a first data flow and a second data flow towards the UE, where the first access technology is used to communicate between the UE and the anchor gateway;
receive at the anchor gateway a second binding registration for the UE;
create a second binding at the anchor gateway using the identification information of the UE and maintaining a corresponding application profile that includes an identification of a second access technology used in providing radio communication to the UE that includes preferences amongst a plurality of applications;
determine whether to initiate a handover of a specific data flow from the first access technology to the second access technology, based on the bindings and corresponding application profiles, wherein the first access technology is of a different type than the second access technology;
initiate a handover of the specific data flow from the first access technology to the second access technology; and
once a handover of the specific data flow is initiated, forwarding the first data flow to the UE over the second access technology while sending to the UE the second data flow over the first access technology.
15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising software operable to:
remove the forwarding of the first data flow over the second access technology; and sending the first data flow over the first access technology.
16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the software operable to remove the forwarding of the first data flow over the second access technology removes a binding cache entry at the anchor gateway when the UE roams out of coverage of the second access technology.
17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first access technology is a long-term evolution (LTE) based radio access technology and the second access technology is WiFi.
18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the binding is a proxy mobile internet protocol version 6 (PMIPv6) binding.
19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the application profiles specify a priority ordering of applications suited for a particular wireless technology.
20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the application profiles are based on policies local to the gateway and are configurable.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for authenticating a user access request comprising:
receiving an access request from a user over a first communication medium;
prompting the user for a username and a first password portion over the first communication medium;
sending a second password portion to the user over a communication medium other than said first communication medium responsive to receiving a valid user name and first password portion pair from the user; and
verifying the access request responsive to receiving said second password portion from the user through said first communication medium.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said password is sent to a mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said password is generated by a firewall system.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said password is generated by proxy operable in said firewall system.
5. An apparatus for authenticating a user access request comprising:
means for receiving an access request from a user over a first communication medium;
means for prompting the user for a username and a first password portion over the first communication medium;
means for sending a second password portion to the user over a communication medium other than said first communication medium responsive to receiving a valid user name and first password portion pair from the user; and
means for verifying the access request responsive to receiving said second password portion from the user through said first communication medium.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising means for sending said password a mobile device.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said password is generated by firewall means.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said password is generated by proxy means operable in said firewall means.
9. A firewall for authenticating a user access request comprising:
a firewall device including at least one proxy process for processing incoming connection requests;
the at least one proxy configured to:
receive an access request from a user over a first communication medium;
prompt the user for a username and a first password portion over the first communication medium;
send a second password portion to the user over a communication medium other than said first communication medium responsive to receiving a valid user name and first password portion pair from the user; and
verify the access request responsive to receiving said second password portion from the user through said first communication medium.
10. The firewall of claim 9, wherein said password is sent to a mobile device.

1. A connector system comprising:
a connector shroud attached to a transmission line, the connector shroud extending from a shroud proximal end to a shroud distal end and defining an opening at the shroud distal end for accessing at least one connector positioned at a terminal end of the transmission line; and
a connector shroud receiver configured to receive the connector shroud, the connector shroud receiver comprising:
a receiver housing defining an opening into which the shroud distal end of the connector shroud can be inserted, the receiver housing housing at least one complementary connector to the connector positioned at the terminal end of the transmission line;
a first door positioned between the opening defined by the receiver housing and the at least one complementary connector, the first door defining a first door leading edge and a first door trailing edge; and
a second door positioned between the opening defined by the receiver housing and the at least one complementary connector, the second door defining a second door leading edge and a second door trailing edge,
wherein the first door and the second door are configured to bias together when the connector shroud is not inserted into the receiver housing so as to close the opening defined by the receiver housing, and the first door and the second door are configured to move apart in response to the shroud distal end contacting the first door and the second door as the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing so as to allow the connector positioned at the terminal end of the transmission line to mate with the complementary connector housed in the receiver housing,
wherein, when the first door and the second door are biased together, the first door leading edge contacts the second door leading edge, and
wherein, when the first door and the second door are biased together, the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge are positioned in a different plane than a plane containing the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge such that the shroud distal end is configured to contact the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge upon being inserted into the receiver housing prior to contacting the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge.
2. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is at least one of an optical transmission line, an electrical transmission line, and a fluid transmission line.
3. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the transmission line comprises an optical transmission line and an electrical transmission line, the at least one connector positioned at the terminal end of the transmission line comprises an optical connector positioned at a terminal end of the optical transmission line and an electrical connector positioned at a terminal end of the electrical transmission line, and the at least one complementary connector housed in the receiver housing comprises a complementary optical connector and a complementary electrical connector.
4. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the connector shroud receiver defines a vertical plane extending through a center of the opening defined by the receiver housing, and the first door and the second door are configured to move from a first position in which the first door and the second door intersect the vertical plane when the first door and the second door are biased together to a second position in which the first door and the second door are generally parallel to the vertical plane when the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing.
5. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the connector shroud receiver further comprises a first door arm and a second door arm, the first door is positioned on a front portion of the first door arm, the second door is positioned on a front portion of the second door arm, and a rear portion of the first door arm is connected to a rear portion of the second door arm via a biasing member.
6. The connector system of claim 5, wherein the first door arm overlaps the second door arm so that the first door and the second door are configured to move apart when the rear portion of the first door arm is moved away from the rear portion of the second door arm.
7. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the shroud distal end extends beyond the terminal end of the transmission line so that the terminal end of the transmission line is recessed in the connector shroud from the opening defined at the shroud distal end.
8. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the opening defined by the receiver housing defines a cross-sectional shape and the connector shroud defines a complementary cross-sectional shape so that the connector shroud can only be inserted into the opening defined by the receiver housing when the connector shroud is in one specific orientation.
9. The connector system of claim 1, wherein the connector shroud defines a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side surface connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, and a second side surface connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the first door and the second door are configured to move apart when the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing so that the first door is in contact with the first side surface of the connector shroud and the second door is in contact with the second side surface of the connector shroud.
10. A connector cover comprising:
a housing defining an opening configured to receive a connector positioned at a terminal end of a transmission line, the housing being configured to house at least one complementary connector to the connector positioned at the terminal end of the transmission line;
a first door positioned to cover a first portion of the opening defined by the housing, the first door defining a first door leading edge and a first door trailing edge; and
a second door positioned to cover a second portion of the opening defined by the housing, the second door defining a second door leading edge and a second door trailing edge,
wherein the first door and the second door are configured to bias together when the connector is not inserted into the housing so as to close the opening defined by the housing, and the first door and the second door are configured to move apart in response to the connector contacting the first door and the second door as the connector is inserted into the housing so as to allow the connector to mate with the complementary connector housed in the receiver housing,
wherein, when the first door and the second door are biased together, the first door leading edge contacts the second door leading edge, and
wherein, when the first door and the second door are biased together, the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge are positioned in a different plane than a plane containing the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge such that the connector is configured to contact the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge upon being inserted into the receiver housing prior to contacting the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge.
11. The connector cover of claim 10, wherein the at least one complementary connector comprises at least one of an optical connector and a fluid connector.
12. The connector cover of claim 10, further comprises a first door arm and a second door arm, the first door being positioned on a front portion of the first door arm, the second door being positioned on a front portion of the second door arm, and a rear portion of the first door arm being connected to a rear portion of the second door arm via a biasing member.
13. The connector cover of claim 12, wherein the first door arm overlaps the second door arm so that the first door and the second door are configured to move apart when the rear portion of the first door arm is moved away from the rear portion of the second door arm.
14. A method comprising:
inserting a connector shroud attached to a transmission line into an opening defined by a connector shroud receiver, the connector shroud receiver including a first door positioned to cover a first portion of the opening and a second door positioned to cover a second portion of the opening;
in response to the connector shroud contacting the first door and the second door upon inserting the connector shroud, moving the first door and the second door from a closed position in which the first door and the second door close the opening to an open position in which the first door and the second door are moved apart to provide access to the opening; and
mating at least one connector positioned at a terminal end of the transmission line with at least one complementary connector housed in the connector shroud receiver,
wherein the first door defines a first door leading edge and a first door trailing edge, the second door defines a second door leading edge and a second door trailing edge, and wherein, when the first door and the second door are biased together, the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge are positioned in a different plane than a plane containing the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge such that a distal end of the connector shroud is configured to contact the first door leading edge and the second door leading edge upon being inserted into the connector shroud receiver prior to contacting the first door trailing edge and the second door trailing edge.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmission line is at least one of an optical transmission line, an electrical transmission line, and a fluid transmission line.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the connector shroud receiver defines a vertical plane extending through a center of the opening, and moving the first door and the second door from the closed position to an open position comprises moving the first door and the second door from a first position in which the first door and the second door intersect the vertical plane to a second position in which the first door and the second door are generally parallel to the vertical plane.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the connector shroud receiver further comprises a first door arm and a second door arm, the first door being positioned on a front portion of the first door arm, the second door being positioned on a front portion of the second door arm, and a rear portion of the first door arm being connected to a rear portion of the second door arm via a biasing member.
18. A connector system comprising:
a connector shroud attached to an optical transmission line and an electrical transmission line, the connector shroud extending from a shroud proximal end to a shroud distal end and defining an opening at the shroud distal end for accessing an optical connector positioned at a terminal end of the optical transmission line and an electrical connector positioned at a terminal end of the electrical transmission line; and
a connector shroud receiver configured to receive the connector shroud, the connector shroud receiver comprising:
a receiver housing defining an opening into which the shroud distal end of the connector shroud can be inserted, the receiver housing housing a complementary optical connector to the optical connector positioned at the terminal end of the optical transmission line and a complementary electrical connector to the electrical connector positioned at the terminal end of the electrical transmission line;
a first door positioned between the opening defined by the receiver housing and the complementary optical connector and the complementary electrical connector; and
a second door positioned between the opening defined by the receiver housing and the complementary optical connector and the complementary electrical connector,
wherein the first door and the second door are configured to bias together when the connector shroud is not inserted into the receiver housing so as to close the opening defined by the receiver housing, and the first door and the second door are configured to move apart in response to the shroud distal end contacting the first door and the second door as the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing so as to allow the optical connector positioned at the terminal end of the optical transmission line and the electrical connector positioned at the terminal end of the electrical transmission line to mate with the complementary optical connector and complementary electrical connector, respectively, housed in the receiver housing.
19. The connector system of claim 18, wherein the connector shroud receiver defines a vertical plane extending through a center of the opening defined by the receiver housing, and the first door and the second door are configured to move from a first position in which the first door and the second door intersect the vertical plane when the first door and the second door are biased together to a second position in which the first door and the second door are generally parallel to the vertical plane when the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing.
20. The connector system of claim 18, wherein the connector shroud receiver further comprises a first door arm and a second door arm, the first door is positioned on a front portion of the first door arm, the second door is positioned on a front portion of the second door arm, and a rear portion of the first door arm is connected to a rear portion of the second door arm via a biasing member.
21. The connector system of claim 20, wherein the first door arm overlaps the second door arm so that the first door and the second door are configured to move apart when the rear portion of the first door arm is moved away from the rear portion of the second door arm.
22. The connector system of claim 18, wherein the shroud distal end extends beyond the terminal end of the optical transmission line and the terminal end of the electrical transmission line so that the terminal end of the optical transmission line and the terminal end of the electrical transmission line are recessed in the connector shroud from the opening defined at the shroud distal end.
23. The connector system of claim 18, wherein the opening defined by the receiver housing defines a cross-sectional shape and the connector shroud defines a complementary cross-sectional shape so that the connector shroud can only be inserted into the opening defined by the receiver housing when the connector shroud is in one specific orientation.
24. The connector system of claim 18, wherein the connector shroud defines a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side surface connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, and a second side surface connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the first door and the second door are configured to move apart when the connector shroud is inserted into the receiver housing so that the first door is in contact with the first side surface of the connector shroud and the second door is in contact with the second side surface of the connector shroud.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A storage apparatus comprising:
a virtual volume accessed by a host computer;
a storage pool having a storage resource associated with the virtual volume; and
a controller for controlling allocation of a storage area from the storage resource in response to write access from the host computer to the virtual volume,
wherein a plurality of storage devices that provide the storage pool with the storage resource constitute a plurality of first groups according to a RAID (Redundant Array of IndependentInexpensive Disks) system and constitute a plurality of second groups including one or more first groups, and
wherein the controller:
sets some of the plurality of second groups to an active mode in which the storage devices belonging to the some groups are made to enter an activated state;
sets other groups, excluding a group which is set to the active mode from among the plurality of second groups, to a power-saving mode in which the storage devices belonging to those other groups are made to enter a power-saving state;
sequentially switches between the group, which is set to the active mode, and the group, which is set to the power-saving mode, from among the plurality of second groups; and
stores data by allocating a storage area from the storage resource for the second group in the active mode in response to write access by the host computer to the virtual volume,
wherein the storage pool has a first pool and a second pool,
wherein the first pool has a first storage resource constituted from a plurality of storage devices that are classified into a first tier,
wherein the second pool has a second storage resource constituted from a plurality of storage devices that are classified into a second tier,
wherein the plurality of storage devices classified into the first tier are classified into a plurality of groups, and
wherein the plurality of storage devices classified into the second tier are classified into a plurality of groups, and
wherein the controller further:
sets all the plurality of groups belonging to the first tier to be capable of switching to the active mode or the power-saving mode; and
sets some groups of the plurality of groups belonging to the second tier to be always in the active mode and sets the remaining groups to switch to the active mode or the power-saving mode.
2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further:
allocates the storage area to an access area of the virtual volume in response to the write access from the host computer to the virtual volume so that load will be imposed equally on the storage resource belonging to the second group in the active mode.
3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage resource of the storage pool is provided from storage devices classified in a specified tier.
4. The storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of storage pools and each storage pool has a storage resource of storage devices classified into different tiers.
5. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further:
sets a threshold;
compares an increase of an allocated amount of the storage area after the second group already in the active mode is set to active, with the threshold; and
changes the status of the next second group from the power-saving mode to the active mode and the status of the second group already in the active mode to the power-saving mode if the controller detects that the allocated amount has reached the threshold.
6. The storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller further:
switches the next second group to the second group already in the active mode after executing processing for diagnosing storage devices constituting a storage resource for the next second group.
7. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further:
sets some groups from among the plurality of second groups as groups always in the active mode; and
sets a plurality of groups other than the some groups of the plurality of second groups as groups whose status is switched between the active mode and the power-saving mode.
8. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further:
changes the number of groups to be set in the active mode at the same time, with respect to the plurality of second groups whose status is switched between the active mode and the power-saving mode, according to the state where they are accessed by the host computer.
9. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the pool is accessed by the host computer to write new data, the controller further:
allocates the storage area from the storage resource of the group in the active mode, from among the plurality of groups, to the logical volume.
10. The storage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein if it is determined that the pool is accessed by the host computer to write update data, the controller further:
specifies a group having a storage resource to which an object area of the access belongs;
detects a mode for the specified group; and
writes the update data to the storage resource of the group in the active mode if the detected mode is the power-saving mode.
11. The storage apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller further:
releases a storage area of the update data in the storage resource of the specified group from allocation to the logical volume; and
prioritizes allocation of the storage area over writing of new data to the storage resource of the specified group.